Did you know that according to Statista today, as of April 2020, there are 3.5 billion people who use smartphones worldwide? This means that nearly half of the world’s population has a smartphone that can download applications.
This has created an unprecedented opportunity for mobile applications and, as a result, the number of mobile applications is an outburst; one of the major niches that mobile applications have stormed into online shopping. Dreadfully simplifying the whole shopping experience, with mobile applications, stores have become closer to customers than ever before.
Today there are nearly 1M e-commerce stores powered by Shopify, and in total there are nearly 10M active e-commerce stores all around the world. For stores, it is no longer a privilege to have a mobile application; it is a must. Moreover, researches show that the world has already gone mobile, and mobile apps have taken the lead, and they are now the leader among the shopping mediums, leaving desktop behind.
Our partner Gartner’s researches also show that providing mobile applications to the customer will increase retention and revenue. According to Penny Gillespie, VP Analyst at Gartner, application leaders (including IT and digital commerce leaders) of the companies often fail to recognize the complete potential that a mobile commerce app can deliver in terms of localized, in-the-moment personalization and in developing one-to-one relationships with customers. Gillespie states that mobile apps are often viewed in silos or merely as extensions of mobile websites, whereas they should be viewed as enablers that can drive loyalty and revenue in an effective cross-channel strategy that also encompasses physical stores and digital commerce sites.
Gartner’s survey shows that social apps were the most used among consumers (with 78% to 86% having used one in the past three months), and 48% of survey respondents had also used a shopping app
Gartner believes that the six attributes of successful mobile commerce apps can increase customer adoption and improve financial results. Application leaders responsible for digital commerce and mobile app development should focus predominantly on customer engagement through the entire customer journey, and ensure that a superior customer experience is delivered at each stage and touchpoint. Mobile improvements should be examined through the eyes of your target customer segments, and you should ensure that operations (such as order management, logistics, fulfillment and customer service) are prepared to support the new customer-facing improvements so that a seamless experience is delivered to the customer from start to finish.
As the world went mobile, and mobile apps have taken the lead among the shopping mediums, in mobilizing businesses, Gartner suggests companies incorporate the Five Attributes for a successful mobile application:
- Recognize Your Customer
- Demonstrate That You Value Your Relationship With Your Customer
- Create Interactions That Are Inviting and Fun
- Provide Information Sufficient for Making a Buy Decision
- Make It Easy to Pay
Furthermore, thinking through the entire customer experience for the targeted customer segments and ensuring the improved customer experience is supported throughout the entire organization prior to app rollout are also crucial.
If you like to learn more about our partner Gartner’s analysis of mobile applications providing customer value, you may visit here.
Alternatively, if you like to learn more about how we can help you in mobilizing your business, you may visit here.
